The blogger Rhonda Gessner has shared the story of how her sister almost died with the internet community - - because of something that millions of people do daily.

In October 2001, Rhonda's sister begins feeling increasingly ill. The mother is hit with terrible stomach pains, and other unbearable pains, making her unable to walk and or leave the bed on her own. Doctors are clueless despite hundreds of tests.

Over the next few years her condition deteriorates - she is convinced she will die. She writes a will to ensure the wellbeing of her children and plans one "last" trip to Florida. 3 days before her departure the doctors give her a new diagnosis: multiple sclerosis, an illness of the central nervous system. When she tells Rhonda over the telephone, Rhonda suddenly has a realization that saves her sister's life.

"Do you drink diet soda?" she asks the very sick woman. "Of course! I was just bout to open a can," she answers. Rhonda is horrified, as she has just read an article summarizing a study that people are sometimes misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis when in reality it's aspartame poisoning. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than normal sugar and thus often found in diet products, TV meals, or other sweets as a replacement for sugar. Also in reduced-sugar beverages.

During an aspartame poisoning, the substance collects in the body and then can lead to the following symptoms according to MDHealth.com:

The FDA recommends limiting the consumption of aspartame to 40mg a day for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight. Yet due to health concerns, Pepsi has already launched their new version of Diet Pepsi without aspartame.

Rhonda's sister immediately stopped consuming diet coke - and her health improved immediately! She received treatment for aspartame poisoning and within 32 hours she was out of the wheelchair and could walk on her own two feet again.

Often we have no clue what kind of artificial ingredients are hidden in our food and what they can do to our body. So share this article with everyone that you know to spread awareness about the dangers of aspartame!